Voices from Stillman's Run:

David Simmons was born July 15, 1802, in Monroe County, Virginia. His father's name was Ephraim Simmons, and his mother's name before her marriage was Elizabeth Calloway. To the best of his knowledge, his father was an American, and his mother was of English descent. When Mr. Simmons was about twelve years old, the family went to Ohio, then back to Nicholas County, Virginia, and from there to Cabell County, where old Mr. Simmons died. David Simmons was then only eighteen years of age, and had only five dollars and a half in his pocket. He moved the family to Decatur County, Indiana, where he remained nearly nine years. When he arrived there he had not five cents in his pocket. His mother was afterwards married, and he was at liberty to work for himself.

On the 11th of November, 1824, he married Elizabeth Jones. He was not worth a hundred dollars. His wife had a cow, a spinning wheel and a bed. They took some of the feathers from their bed and traded them for three knives and three forks.

In the fall of 1830 Mr. Simmons came to Illinois and arrived at the south side of the grove on the 7th of November. He traded his team, two yoke of oxen, his wagon and all of his money, except $2.15, for eighty acres of timber land with a cabin on it. He afterwards sold forty acres of timber for the purpose of entering prairie. But by reason of the Black Hawk war he wasted his money and was obliged to borrow and pay twenty-five per cent, interest in order to enter land.

During the Black Hawk war Mr. Simmons was the third sergeant in Captain Covel's company. They went up to Dixon's Ferry, where the troops were for some days drilling and getting themselves in order for fight. On the 13th of May, 1832, the troops started on the famous Stillman's Run expedition. Major (afterward general) Stillman had two hundred and six men with him, all told, according to Mr. Simmons. They went about five miles during the first day, to a little grove, and there camped. The next morning they traveled on until noon, when they stopped for dinner. Then the guard in front discovered moccasin tracks, and a false alarm was raised. The men jumped on their horses and ran up to the tracks, which were perhaps two or three miles from the place where they stopped for dinner. They rode very excitedly, and some lost their tin cups and other articles. The tracks were fresh and clear on a sand ridge, but no Indians were found. The men waited there until the baggage wagon came up. The baggage master had great difficulty in crossing sloughs with his heavy load in his little two horse wagon, and it was therefore determined to lighten the wagon by issuing the ammunition and whiskey to the men. The men filled their powder horns, and some of them tied up powder in their handkerchiefs. They filled their canteens and coffee pots and bottles with whisky, but were not able to take it all and left some in the barrel. Then they took up their line of march, and during the afternoon while on the route some of them passed along the line offering whisky out of their coffee pots to whoever would drink, for it was as free as water and more plenty just then.

They went into camp in the evening on the north side of Old Man's Creek, and hobbled their horses, and the advanced guard came in. Just then about ten or a dozen Indians appeared on a high hill about a quarter or a half mile distant. The officers and men were inquiring what they were, and some thought it was the advanced guard. David Simmons said to Stillman: "No, the advanced guard came in a while ago. General, it's Indians." Then the men commenced catching their horses, and some started without putting on the saddles, and went at full speed to where the little squad of Indians appeared. All the Indians retreated except two, who claimed to be Pottawotamies. Covel then turned to Stillman and said: "It's all nonsense, they are friendly Indians," and said that enough of the boys had gone to take the others, as they were pursued by twenty or thirty men; the two were then brought into camp. While the Indian prisoners were coming into camp they said: "Me good Pottawotamie," but pointed over the hill and said: "Heap of Sac." The Indians then offered to trade for a gun belonging to David Alexander, from Pekin, who was commissary. Then David Simmons brought out his double-barrel gun for the Indians to look at, and while they were poking their fingers first into one barrel and then into another, a man came running back at full speed, calling, "Parade, parade." Then the officers had their men formed into companies. David Simmons was ordered to guard the prisoners, but George Wylie took his place. The men moved forward leaving the prisoners guarded in the rear. Before going far they met a few men coming in with an Indian prisoner. The twenty or thirty men had pursued the Indians and killed one and captured another. The captured Indian had fought hard, and Mr. Hackleton had been speared in the hands. The whites moved on, after sending the Indian prisoner to the rear. They went to where twenty or thirty whites were stationed, near a big slough, and there were told of an Indian who came out and offered his hand in friendship, and that McCullogh extended his hand and snatched the Indian's gun. Mr. Simmons saw the gun, but did not see McCullogh snatch it. McCullogh snapped at the Indian, and Vandolah shot but missed. The officer halted and said that if the Indians did not want to fight they would not rush on them, but would see what the Indians did want. The officers then went on across the slough to the top of a bluff beyond. Then Gridley came back with orders to march across the slough, and the men started, and the officers came dashing back. Captain Eades of Peoria came riding up, and said he was not easily fooled, and that there were not less than a thousand of the Indians. The officers ordered the men to countermarch, and fall back across the slough. The front of the line obeyed orders, but the rear broke back ahead of those in front and made confusion. They went back across the slough to high ground, and there the officers tried to form a line, but the men were in poor order and in bunches, so that they could not shoot without hitting some one in front of them.

The Indians then began to pour out of the timber, and Mr. Simmons said it reminded him of the pigeons in Indiana flying over one another and picking up mast. The Indians began firing and the flashes of their guns could be seen, as it was just becoming dusky in the evening. The whites fired in return, but were so mixed up that some fired in the air, as they could not shoot ahead without hitting some of their own number. They were then ordered to retreat to their camp ground and there form a line. They went back on a gallop. Simmons and Coffey and Murphy agreed to go for Dixon's Ferry, when they arrived at the creek, Captain Covel tried to form the men on the north side of the creek; but an order was given to shoot the prisoners and go back across the creek and form a line on the other side. Mr. Simmons started for the lower crossing and met Jim Paul putting on his saddle and said to him: "What are you about?" He replied with an oath that he would have his saddle. When Mr. Simmons crossed the creek the whites were shooting at the Indians and the latter were shooting at the whites. Simmons went a little above the ford after crossing and stopped when a bullet whistled close to his ear. There was then the greatest confusion and yelling. Some were calling "halt and fight," some said "don’t leave us," and some called "murder." But in a moment or two an order was given to retreat to Dixon, and that order was obeyed. They took the trail back at the top of their speed. Some Indians came in on the left and tried to outflank the party, but the whites went too fast, and did not stop until they came to Dixon. The next day the greater part of the army went up to Stillman's Run and buried the dead. On their return horsemen were sent down to meet the boats coming up with provisions, and their baggage wagons came up in a few days. The governor then started up the river with troops to fight the Indians, and left a part of the army to guard the families at Dixon. During that evening an express came from Ottawa asking for men. This express was sent on after the Governor, and he sent back an order for Colonel Johnson to take several companies and go on to Ottawa and build a fort, which was done. Covel and McClure's companies were among those that went to Ottawa. They started and camped within three or four miles of where the three families were murdered on Indian Creek, but knew nothing of the matter at the time. They went on to Ottawa next day and saw a little squad of whites. Each party supposed that the other were Indians, and stopped and formed lines, but discovered their mistake. The party was a squad of men going out to bury the dead at Indian Creek. They went on to Ottawa, where a great many families were gathered for protection. They built a fort there. Mr. Simmons and some thirteen others then came home, as they heard that the Kickapoos in the rear were going to make trouble, and that the people were going into the forts for safety. A few days after this the troops, who had been called out for thirty days, were all discharged, Mr. Simmons among the rest. At Bloomington they had talked of forting, but had not done so, but at Pekin a fort was built. A company of rangers was formed for sixty days, to traverse the frontier of McLean County….

Mr. Simmons is about five feet and ten inches in height, as a strong constitution, a sanguine complexion and light blue eyes. He is very muscular and one of the hardest of workers. His clear statement of the fight at Stillman's Run is perhaps the best ever given of that celebrated affair, and its correctness may be seen at a glance.